Google has announced significant updates to its search experience specifically tailored for users in South Africa. These changes, focusing on travel and shopping queries, aim to enhance the visibility of South African platforms and improve user experience through new visual elements and filtering options.
Key Features of the Update
1. "South African" Badge
- A new badge will appear on search results and advertisements from eligible South African platforms in travel and shopping sectors.
- The badge does not affect the ranking of results but improves visibility.
- Currently available for travel and shopping queries in South Africa. This feature was spotted by a few users in July.
2. "South African" Refinement Chips
- New filtering option at the top of the search results page.
- Allows users to refine their view to focus on eligible South African travel and shopping platforms.
- No additional markup required from eligible platforms to appear in refined results.
Objectives of the New Features
- Increase visibility of South African platforms in search results.
- Enhance user ability to filter and explore local results.
- Improve overall search experience for South African users in travel and shopping categories.
Eligibility and Participation
- These features are currently exclusive to eligible sites in South Africa.
- South African businesses interested in participating can express interest through a provided form.
- Eligibility criteria focus on businesses based in South Africa.
Impact on Users and Businesses
- Users benefit from easier access to local content and services.
- South African businesses gain potential for increased visibility in relevant searches.
- The update aligns with Google's efforts to tailor search experiences to local markets.
This update represents Google's commitment to enhancing local search experiences and supporting regional digital ecosystems. South African users and businesses in the travel and shopping sectors should particularly benefit from these new features.
Google encourages eligible South African platforms to express interest in participating in these new search experiences, potentially opening up new opportunities for local digital businesses.
